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February may be the shortest month, but it rarely lacks momentum. As the new year settles into its rhythm, the worlds of fashion and beauty are gearing up for a mammoth year ahead.
This month’s news is defined by expansion, experience and substance. Heritage houses revisit their codes and welcome new faces, while newer favourites prove the beauty of subtlety.
From your new favourite fragrance to a must-visit brick-and-mortar, ahead, we round up the moments and launches to have on your radar this February.
Beauty launches and fashion news for February 2026:
Australian Fashion Week finds a new home
Australian Fashion Week is entering a new era, with the Australian Fashion Council announcing the Australian Fashion Week 2026 hub will relocate to the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
Set against the harbour from 11–15 May 2026, the MCA will host runways, industry talks, buyer showrooms, and cultural programming, reframing AFW as not merely a schedule of shows, but a city-wide cultural moment.
The move, delivered in partnership with Destination NSW, positions fashion in direct dialogue with contemporary art, amplifying its creative and commercial reach. Alongside runway presentations from established, emerging and First Nations designers—as well as a dedicated graduate showcase—satellite activations will ripple across Sydney.
With governance now under AFC Fashion Events and Kellie Hush returning as Fashion Director, the reset is set to bolster Australian fashion on a new stage.
Discover more here.
Chanel reimagines an icon with N°5 Eau de Toilette
Chanel revisits its most iconic creation with a reimagined N°5 Eau de Toilette, presented in its original 1924 bottle—a subtle but powerful nod to history.
A warmer, more vibrant interpretation of the 1921 classic, it opens with rose, jasmine and ylang-ylang, lifted by aldehydes, before sandalwood and vetiver lend a softly woody depth. As Olivier Polge, Chanel’s In-House Perfumer-Creator, describes it, the composition is “modern” and “abstract”, elegance rendered with complexity, and craftsmanship perfected through generations.
Shop here.
Dior announces Sophie Wilde as an ambassador
Dior has announced Sophie Wilde as its newest ambassador, with the Australian actress joining the House under Jonathan Anderson’s creative direction.
Fresh from Cannes and soon to appear in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s upcoming film alongside Tom Cruise and Riz Ahmed, Wilde brings a magnetic screen presence that feels perfectly aligned with Dior’s cinematic heritage. She joins a modern roster of muses, including Greta Lee, Taylor Russell, Josh O’Connor, LaKeith Stanfield, Anya Taylor-Joy, and more, reinforcing the House’s enduring connection with film.
Discover more here.
Estée Lauder evolves a cult classic
Few foundations have earned cult status quite like Double Wear. From long shifts and clubs to school pick-ups and beyond, it’s been a foolproof beauty benchmark since its debut in 1997. But as often happens to classics, Estée Lauder’s original has evolved. The new Double Wear Stay-in-Place reimagines the icon with a more buildable, breathable texture and an expanded 67-shade range, while delivering everything devotees expect: flawless full coverage, 36-hour colour-true wear and steadfast oil control.
Powered by the brand’s Polymer Mesh Matrix Technology, the formula forms an invisible, flexible network that locks in 20 trillion micro-pigments while allowing skin to move naturally. The result is transfer-proof, waterproof, humidity-resistant coverage with a more skin-like, dimensional matte finish. Crucially, it also supports the skin barrier, delivering 72-hour hydration and reducing excess oil over time.
While we’ve all been personally victimised by a reformulation of an old favourite, trust us when we say this iteration, available to purchase from March 1, is better than ever.
Discover more here.
Loro Piana arrives in Sydney
Loro Piana’s long-awaited arrival in Australia is great news for anyone who has ever loved beautiful clothes for how they feel, not just how they look. The Maison’s first Australian boutique has opened on the fourth floor of Westfield Sydney, marking a significant moment for lovers of luxury.
The space itself is a masterclass in restraint. Its façade, crafted from handmade terracotta tiles in the House’s signature kummel hue, nods to the soft undulation of Loro Piana fabrics. Inside, where the Spring/Summer 2026 collection currently sets the mood, the boutique unfolds as a calm, tactile environment: oak and carabottino wood, wool-and-silk carpets, cashmere wall coverings, and softly upholstered armchairs that invite you to linger. Fluid tailoring sits seamlessly next to languid, resort-style silhouettes, and earthy neutrals are enlivened by gentle pops of colour.
It’s not often luxury storefronts offer such a warming invitation, but Loro Piana understand the value of real-life customer connection. And besides, it takes just one feel of the brand’s inconceivably silky cashmeres to become a lifelong fan.
Discover more here.
Merit launches another instant classic
Merit has garnered a loyal following for its low-fi approach to everyday beauty, and its Signature Lip Blush is perhaps the brand’s most persuasive argument yet. First released in 2023 as part of a limited-edition holiday set, the lip product has returned, due to popular demand, as a permanent collection in eight shades designed to slot seamlessly into your routine.
The Signature Lip Blush delivers the visual payoff of a matte lipstick without the commitment. Lightweight, sheer-matte, and softly blurring, it almost behaves like a balm, delivering a lived-in finish that is as comfortable as it is flattering.
Shop here.
Moncler takes Aspen for FW26
If Moncler Grenoble is about the future of mountain living, its Fall/Winter 2026 presentation in Aspen proved that the future can still honour the past. Set beneath the moonlit peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the show unfolded as a fully immersive experience that blurred the boundaries between performance, fashion and place.
Guests—including Jennie Kim, Aubrey Plaza, Tessa Thompson, Emily Ratajkowski and more—arrived by snowmobile after a day spent skiing and snowshoeing, before witnessing models navigate real snow moguls in garments engineered for both terrain and elegance. The collection drew inspiration from 1950s America and Moncler’s own alpine origins, blending cinched silhouettes, rounded volumes and classic materials with cutting-edge technical innovation.
The result was a collection in which heritage and modernity coexist—beautifully so, might we add.
Discover more here.
Carolina Herrera unveils La Bomba
Carolina Herrera’s newest fragrance, La Bomba, arrives exactly as its name suggests: vibrant, expressive and unapologetically alive. Inspired by the legendary nickname given to Herrera by Diana Vreeland, La Bomba celebrates women who take up space, speak from the heart, and move through the world on their own terms.
The scent itself is a high-impact fruity-floral, crafted by perfumers Christophe Raynaud, Quentin Bisch and Louise Turner. It opens with exotic pitaya for a juicy, electric first impression, before blooming into cherry peony and frangipani. A warm vanilla base lingers long after, leaving a trail that feels both sensual and assured. The jewel-like butterfly bottle, sculpted in bold shades of Herrera pink and red, completes the fantasy.
With a campaign fronted by Vittoria Ceretti, La Bomba is all about self-expression. A fragrance that doesn’t just announce one’s presence, but shifts the energy of every room.
Shop here.
Hourglass expands its glowing universe
Lauded for its luminous finishes, Hourglass is once again reviving our complexions with its new Unreal Liquid Highlighter, a serum-textured formula that promises 12 hours of lifted, radiant glow.
Infused with the brand’s Unreal Lifting Complex, including upcycled white lupin seed extract to visibly firm and hyaluronic acid to plump with hydration, it delivers a silky, weightless sheen that feels as good as skincare.
Shop here.
